State budget with targeted cuts headed to House for debate
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — House Bill 1, which is the state's budget plan, passed out of the House Committee on Appropriations Monday morning with no opposition.
The bill authored by Chairman Jack McFarland (R-Jonesboro, La.) sought to deliver a balanced budget with $200 million less in revenue, while still funding priorities identified by the legislature and Governor Jeff Landry.
'If you'll remember when the session began, I told everyone publicly I'm going to fund the priorities of the legislature,' said Representative McFarland shortly after the committee meeting.The state's bottom line for 2025-2026 is about $45 billion.
With less revenue coming in, lawmakers were challenged to find some savings without cutting services and also providing a permanent pay raise for teachers.
Committee members congratulated the Chairman of the committee, Jack McFarland, saying the process has been transparent and fair.
Targeted cuts include paying down debt, rolling back on state agency purchases, and a hiring freeze by Governor Jeff Landry.
Committee members touted the bill as a compromise and pointed out that no crucial services were cut in this budget, and no taxes were raised.
'In tough times, families tighten their belts. We made sure the state government did the same — responsibly, and without asking more from taxpayers,' said McFarland.
The full House is scheduled to debate HB 1 on Thursday.
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